Help - My Dog has Fleas!

Fleas are a common problem for both cats and dogs. In fact, the most common flea that lives on dogs is the cat flea! My poor Jack Russell, Milo, was invaded by fleas when we moved to our new house. He could have picked them up from the garden or maybe they were a housewarming gift from the previous feline residents! I have put together answers to key flea questions in this Squidoo lens...

1. How do I tell if my dog has fleas?

2. How do I get rid of fleas on my dog?

3. How do I give my dog a flea bath?

4. Do fleas bite?

If you find that your dog has fleas, don't panic. It's not something that you have done wrong, or because your dog is dirty. It's actually quite common and fleas are just something that they pick up when out and about. Dogs can pick up fleas in the park or through contact with other dogs and cats quite easily in the summer season. It is easy to deal with once you have diagnosed the problem.

Of course, this is a blog from experience as a dog owner, not a professional, so before you give your dog any medication or treatment, always seek your vetenarians advice first.

Intro image credit: www.pestzap.com

You can usually tell that your dog has fleas by the persistent dog scratching. You can also run your fingers (eugh!) or a flea comb through the dogs fur, and if you see small black dots they are probably flea dirts. You may even see those hungry menaces jumping off your poor pooch in severe cases.

If your dog has fleas, you can remove fleas and flea eggs from your dog by using a flea comb. First of all, get a bowl of soapy water so that if you get fleas on the comb, you can drown them after removal, otherwise, these hungry fellas might just jump back onto your dog! When combing through your dogs fur, concentrate on the thickest parts of the fur around the tail and hind legs. You may also find a few on their back and by their neck...you will get to know the places that they like to 'hang out'!

This is a great way to remove fleas from young puppies or pregnant and nursing females, as you shouldn't use any treatments on them.

If your dog has fleas, you can buy a special flea shampoo to get rid of fleas on your dog. Get a reputable brand such as Bob Martin, read the instructions and check with your vetenarian for advice before using products on your dog. This particular one that we used on Milo is suitable for dogs and puppies over 12 weeks old.

When you give your dog a flea bath, make sure that you lather it up and wash the underbelly of the dog as well as the top fur. You should see fleas coming off the poor pooch when you rinse! Make sure that your dog get properly dried after his flea bath, especially in the winter.

Using flea treatments

The most effective flea treatment for dogs that we have found is Frontline. It is best used every 6-8 weeks as prevention. Frontline is a flea treatment that you apply to the back of your dogs neck (so that he can't lick it off!). If your dog has fleas, frontline kills the fleas on your dog, and also prevents eggs from hatching. You can also use a flea collar that will slowly release flea treatment into your dogs fur.

Just a couple of things to be aware of. Don't use flea treatments on puppies (unless recommended by your vetenarian). It is also recommended that you do not use them on pregnant or nursing females. No dog should be treated before seeking medical advice from your vet. Also, be aware NOT to give your dog a treatment such as frontline AND a flea collar, as you will be doubling the dose which could be harmful to your dog. Flea collars contain chemicals that can kill fish and be harmful to the environment, so dispose of them very carefully. Finally, make sure that you read all instructions carefully before treating your dog.

Do fleas bite dogs? Yes, absolutely! Fleas are a parasite, they bite your dog to get blood to live on. In excessive flea infestations, and this can cause your dog to have sore skin. Female fleas must have a 'blood meal' before they can lay eggs (eugh!). Flea bites will be itchy and uncomfortable for your dog. Have a look on your dogs underbelly, you may see flea bites there.

Can fleas bite humans? Unfortunately, yes! They can bite humans. So if there are fleas in your sofa, bed or carpet, watch out! Fleas can live without being on an animal for up to 7 days. After that, they will die without a blood supply. Fleas can jump off soft furnishings and onto humans and bite them (eugh!). But fleas cannot live on humans, because they need an animal with fur to live off, such as a cat or dog. This is why if your pet has fleas, you must remove the fleas from bedding and the whole environment before you can be sure that they have gone.

Fleas can be quite persistent and live on your carpets, then jump back onto your dog! If you have had a serious flea infestation, you will want to de-flea the house, with a focus on carpets, upholstry and the dogs bedding.

Wash the dogs bed on a high temperature. You can get flea powders to leave on the carpets and then hoover up, but don't let animals or children into the flea powdered room until a couple of hours after the process is complete. You can also get a spray such as Indorex, which you can spray around the edges of the room. If things are really bad, you can do a FLEA BOMB! But you need to completely seal the room before you let it off (no - not with any people or animals in it, for sure!). When you let the flea bomb off, vacate the room, and re seal. I would suggest that you, your family and your dog all go out for a nice walk or outing at this point! The stuff can be quite toxic!

Again, just make sure that you seek advice from the vet and read instructions carefully. This stuff can be quite strong and you need to look after all family members, children and other animals as well as your dog during this process!